Canadian Visit Visa

What is a Canadian Visit Visa and do you need a Canada travel visa for travel into Canada and the Okanagan British Columbia?

The information on this page is sourced from the Canadian Citizendship and Immigration website, and should not be considered as official representation of Canadian Government regulations. This is general information only, intended to provide awareness to those who wish to travel to Canada. Please consult the Citizenship and Immigration Canada Website for full Canada travel visa requirements.

What Is A Canada Visit Visa?

A Visit Visa is a document or often stamp on a passport which allows entry of a person in Canada as that person meets the requirements of the Act for the purpose of visiting Canada.

The country issuing the visa typically attaches various conditions to it, such as the time that the visa is valid, the period that the person may stay in the country, whether the visa is valid for more than one visit, etc. Generally speaking, international visitors to Canada, not including U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents, must carry a valid passport and, possibly a visitors visa. Citizens from the Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom, and some other countries do not require a Canadian visit visa.

Most visit visa's are processed within a month or less, but processing time does vary, so you'll want to be sure to give yourself plenty of time to acquire a Canadian visit visa if you need one.

Some people are inadmissible to Canada, meaning they are not allowed to enter into Canada.

Several things can make you inadmissible to Canada, including involvement in human rights violations, in criminal activity, or in organized crime. You can also be denied admission for security, financial, or health reasons.

Canadian Visit Visa Exemptions

Many people do not require a visa to visit to travel into Canada. These include:

• Citizens of Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Botswana, Brunei, Croatia, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel (National Passport holders only), Italy, Japan, Korea (Republic of), Latvia (Republic of), Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Portugal, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Swaziland, Sweden, Slovenia, Switzerland, United States, and Western Samoa.

  Other special requirements may be necessary for visitors from these countries. For example, as of January 1, 2009, citizens of Lithuania and Poland are be required to posses an e-passport in order to travel to Canada without a temporary resident visa.

• Persons lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence who are in possession of their alien registration card (Green card) or can provide other evidence of permanent residence.
• British citizens and British Overseas Citizens who are re-admissible to the United Kingdom
• Citizens of British dependent territories who derive their citizenship through birth, descent, registration or naturalization in one of the British dependent territories of Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn, St. Helena or the Turks and Caicos Islands.
• Persons holding a British National (Overseas) Passport issued by the Government of the United Kingdom to persons born, naturalized or registered in Hong Kong.
• Persons holding a valid and subsisting Special Administrative Region passport issued by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China.
• Persons holding passports or travel documents issued by the Holy See.

How To Apply For A Visit Visa To Canada

1. Obtain a temporary resident visa application form. You can do this by finding the Canadian visit visa office responsible for your country.
2. Read the guide. There is a non-refundable fee for processing visit visa applications. You want to make sure you are eligible for a Canadian visit visa before you send in your application.
3. Complete the application form and attach the required documents. The application form contains instructions. Read the instructions and be sure to provide the required documents.
4. Pay the required fee and keep your receipt. The fee per person is $75 for a single entry visa, $150 for a multiple entry visa or $400 for a family (multiple or single entry).

   Check the website of the visa office responsible for the country or region where you live for more information on fees, including how to pay them.

5. Mail the application form and required documents. When you have completed the application form, make sure you sign and date it, and that all required documents and fees are included in the envelope. In most countries, application fees must be paid in Canadian dollars. You must send your application to the Canadian visa office in the country or region where you live. Check the guide in your application package for instructions.

Note: The information above is provided from the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website at www.cic.gc.ca.

This reproduction is not represented as an official version of the materials reproduced, nor as having been made, in affiliation with or with the endorsement of Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Still not sure if you need a Canada visit visa?

You can also check with your country's Canadian consulate or embassy to find travel visa information for Canada, and whether or not you need a Canadian visit visa.

Related Pages:

• Nexus Card Information
• Passport For Canada Information
• US Canada Border Crossing Locations In BC
• Flights To Kelowna
• How To Find Cheap Canadian Air Travel
• Driving From The US To British Columbia
• Okanagan British Columbia Tourism - Guide To Cities And Towns

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